TMD

Serving St. Joseph, Niles, South Bend, Kalamazoo and all of Southwest Michigan

TMD, or temporomandibular joint disorder, is a condition characterized by a misaligned temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the joint which connects your jaw to your skull. You use your TMJ when you open and close your jaws to chew, yawn, and speak.

When the jaw joint is not working properly, it can cause a variety of problems that affect your entire body. TMD is typically treated using the principles of neuromuscular dentistry, a field of dentistry which focuses on attending to alignment issues in your jaw and bite.

St. Joseph neuromuscular dentist Dr. Sven Erickson was trained thoroughly on TMD treatment during his time at the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies, the premier neuromuscular dentistry training institution in the nation. As a result, he is able to utilize his jaw joint knowledge to relieve many of the symptoms caused by TMD.

TMD Symptoms

People with TMD may experience a wide range of symptoms that affect the head, neck, shoulders, arms, and back. Because the jaw joint connects to a variety of other areas like the facial muscles, neck muscles, tendons, and upper-body nerve bundles, even a small problem with your TMJ can have wide-reaching effects. Symptoms of TMD include:

Headaches

Facial pain

Jaw soreness

Neck pain

Shoulder pain

Numbness/tingling in the hands and fingers

Back pain

Clicking or popping sounds when opening or closing the jaw

Ringing in the ears

Limited jaw mobility

Jaws that get locked in a set position

Difficulty chewing

Facial swelling

TMD Treatment Customization

When deciding on a course of treatment for TMD, Dr. Erickson will consider your unique combination of symptoms and the information gathered during your jaw tracking tests. He usually begins with the most conservative efforts, such as lifestyle/behavioral changes, to minimize symptoms and improve jaw joint health.

Restoration of a healthy bite and pain relief are the ultimate goals, and they may be accomplished using oral appliances (usually worn during sleep), electric muscle stimulation with the TENS unit, dental restorations, orthodontic treatment, physical therapy, and in rare cases, jaw surgery.